One's Destiny
by Ea Aderyn
Summary: Once again, Valdemar is in danger of a new looming threat. Desperate, the Hawkbrothers call for a savior, one they summon themselves unknowingly from a strange world. Our hero, a hapless teen girl, is faced with the task of saving the day. Ch.6 up
1. Chapter 1: Arriving to Destiny

**I don't own Valdemar or Texas. Mercedes Lackey and the government does. : All I own is the narrator, and even sometimes I do worry about that one. (Lawl.)**

Chapter 1. Arriving to Destiny 

It started on a regular Texas day; seventy degree weather in the middle of December. I was just making my way home from the mall, a place I liked to hang out at, when as I opened the door to the mall exit, a bright, heavenly light enveloped me. It wasn't your average heavenly light. This light happened to be a Gate, I found out later, and took me to a land that was in great need of someone. They got me. And well, I wasn't exactly what they expected.

When you come out a door, you expect to come to your next destination, outside. When I came out my door, I ended up in front of what seemed a whole pack of birds in a dense forest that was incredibly humid. Now, the bird-people didn't startle me as much as the fact that it was humid and tropical in winter. Texas is bipolar but not _that_ bipolar. That was when I figured out I wasn't in Texas anymore.

The bird-people started chattering at me. I had no idea what they were saying, so I ignored them and looked around. There was this gigantic pillar of stone that glowed and pulsed. Seeing this started to make me put things together. Balmy forest, pulsing pillar, and people dressed in feathers with birds on them. I was _so_ not in the world of Valdemar.

But guess what! I _was_, and already I was missing technology. I mean seriously! Horses are not an efficient mode of transportation and having to wait months for communication is just dumb. I checked my purse to see if the Gate had rid me of anything that didn't exist in Valdemar. Cell phone, check. MP3 player, check. Goodness, I even had my make-up! I was ecstatic and immediately started laughing to myself. This might not be so bad for a while. I just needed to get home. Now.

One of the older bird-people walked close to me and held out a hand. I eyed it with suspicion and then thought better of myself. Go ahead and shake his hand, said a little voice. He's being friendly. So, I grasped his hand firmly in mine and gave it a good shake and smiled up at him. (He was probably half a foot taller than I was.) He chattered at me again, and I _still_ didn't understand. How to get him to understand that don't speak his language?

I stared him straight in the eyes. I said in English, "I don't understand a single word you say," and at the same time motioned with my hands the best way I could that in no way did I understand him. After the fourth time, I think he finally understood and motioned behind him and said a smattering of his language to someone behind. It turned out he was speaking to some kind of deer. Then I remembered. Dyheli. And I was about to get a headache that dyheli would regret. He trotted up to me and quirked his head to the side and just looked at me. I held out a hand and quickly sat down, knowing from the books that you better sit down or you'll have pains all along your backside. I gave a little motion that he could continue and prepared some dirty things to do to this dyheli, most likely the king stag. Hmph. He was really going to get it.

Next thing I woke up to was a tall lizard with razor-sharp teeth staring down at me and… grinning. The thing was grinning at me. It let out a guttural noise, I think a _laugh_, and stepped back. "I'm Nitz," it said. "I'm a hertasi and I will be here to serve you, dear lady. As soon as you dress, the elders would like to see you and finally be able to converse with you."

You know what the first thing that came out of _my_ mouth? "Thank God, I can finally understand! Oh this is a _godsend_!" I leapt up out of my cot and gave the hertasi a hug. "I know you will be amazing and thank everything that is holy you aren't shy." I gave Nitz another hug and quickly grabbed the clothing and went behind a screen.

"You know, I wasn't expecting such a…hmm… grateful reception. I figured you would be more frightened by me than elated. We hertasi _are_ a little scary-looking."

I shrugged behind the curtain, even though Nitz couldn't see me, and I responded, "Well, I already know plenty about the hertasi from what I've read. You guys might look a little creepy, no offense, but you're amazingly helpful. I'd rather make friends with you than get on your bad side."

I came out from behind the screen in my new outfit. It was gorgeous. It was an olive green silken dress that flowed down my body. The hertasi had worked their magic and made it fit like a silken glove on me. The embroidery in gold thread was of falling leaves and accented the brown embroidery of feathers. I still had on my bra. It was still just _too_ weird to get rid of my undergarments.

"Uh, Nitz, you wouldn't mind learning to make undergarments like the ones I have on, would you? At least until I get used to this world. Seriously, no bra is freaky."

Nitz made that guttural noise again, laughing at me, and simply nodded. "Thanks," I sighed, relieved. "So, er… Where am I meeting them?"

"Not just yet! You still look a mess! Come here and I'll do your hair and help you with shoes." Nitz motioned me over to a chair beside a table and I walked over to it. I sat down and prepared my soft-headed self for some major pain. But no pain came. Nitz was incredibly gentle with my hair and was done in a pinch. The hertasi held out a shoe in front of me and I understood after a second of just blinking at it, that Nitz wanted me to put it on. So, I slipped a foot into each shoe presented to me and sighed. These were soft and comfortable!

"All right. Take a good look at yourself, miss. I think you'll really like what I've done." The hertasi handed me a small mirror and I looked at my hair. There were feathers, glass beads, and thread all in my hair! It was amazing the arrangement of it all and I just jumped up and gave Nitz another hug.

"You're amazing!" I exclaimed. Okay, so I yelled it out. When your hair looks as good as mine did at that instance, you just have to yell it out to the world.

Nitz held a smug look on her face. I decided she was female since I felt she needed a gender. I sure couldn't figure it out.

"I want you to know what you need to about the elders," she started. "They are the oldest and most powerful of the clan here. You need to show extreme respect and reverence for them _all_."

I waved off her speech. "Yeah, yeah. I know. I've read _all_ about the Hawkbrothers. No need to lecture me on stuff I know." Nitz gave a puzzled look at me, but then continued.

"Well, if you know so much, good luck at the meeting. You'll need it. And just follow the yellow markings. They lead to the meeting hall." I gave her a mock salute, which resulted in a confused look, and left my dwelling. I was on the ground and not in the trees, thankfully. I'm not one for living up high. It makes my stomach feel funny.

I was very thankful she said yellow markings. It was the only color my city eyes could find in the dense vegetation. I couldn't get a good look at the plants or anything because I was trying my hardest just to keep on the right path, but I did like the little patches of flowers I managed to get glimpses of that were near my yellow saviors.

**Author's Note: Well, please R&R! I have plenty more written but am perfectly willing to get it adjusted based on nice criticism. Emphasis on NICE. : Chapter Two will be up as soon as I get feedback. **


	2. Chapter 2: Meeting

**I don't own Valdemar or Gackt. I do own the narrator. And, erm, other blah-blah information we_ all_ know.**

Chapter 2. Meeting**  
**

It was probably fifteen minutes before I got to this _big_ and I mean _big_ house, which I gathered as the meeting hall and decided I'll just politely knock on the outside. Better to make a good impression than, you know, burst in, announce you want to go home now, and that your heathen captors should worship you all in the same breath. So, that's what I did. When I arrived at the outside of the meeting hall, I quietly knocked, hoping to hopes no one heard it. But alas, some idgit did hear it and opened the door almost immediately. I smiled nervously at the face that the door opened to. It was a young man, Valdemaran by the looks of him, and he gave a huge grin. It was a pleasant grin, fake though it was, and I returned it with more courage than before. He was just a little taller than me with bright green eyes that laughed every chance they got, a crooked nose, mousy brown hair, and tanned skin. I figured at this day and age, he'd worked hard in earlier years. He was pretty fit and his skin showed signs of the sun's harshness besides color. The most striking feature to me was the stark white clothing he wore. Oh God, he was a Herald. I was making googly eyes at a Herald.

"Come on in. You're probably startled by all of this, just as we were startled by you. I hope the couple days you've been asleep have helped you adjust." He grinned again, another fake one, and moved out of the way of the door and waved me on in.

Cautiously, I stepped inside the big ekele and looked around at who and _what_ I was meeting with. There were the elders, of course. They had put on some of their brightest and most outlandish clothing for this meeting. Their birds were decked out, too, in what I suppose could be considered bird jewelry. There was the Herald and his… Companion? A bright, white horse with blue eyes was staring at me. In a house. At that moment, I believed the world had caved in on me. A horse in a house seemed absurd. I shook my head to clear it of my confusion and continued to look around. I spotted more Valdemarans, none were Heralds, and to my surprise, a gryphon was staring straight down at me. I couldn't tell if they were hungry, angry, or interested eyes, but it startled me momentarily. My first glimpse of a gryphon yet, and I wasn't sure if he wanted to eat me or not. I felt a bit silly for it, but you can imagine my confusion, I hope.

"Elders, I suppose we can get along with the meeting now. Our guest here seems rested up and hopefully will agree to our terms." I perked up when I heard him talk about me. I was a guest and not a captive. Things were looking up a little bit. It just then hit me that he was speaking a different language than what I had spoken to and heard from Nitz. My brain registered it as Valdemaran. Well, one point for the king dyheli. He'd done me a favor, besides the headache that was a ghost in my head. I briefly wondered what other languages he'd stuffed in my head and what he took, but I shrugged it off. I'd find out later.

"Well, let the meeting begin then. First things first, though. We need to tend to the normal business. Without trade, we cannot live," said a young man I hadn't noticed. He was dressed in Hawkbrother clothing but looked Valdemaran. Interesting, yeah? I thought so, too, and put it on my list of things to ask Nitz. It seemed a waste not to use a fountain of knowledge within my own dwelling.

From the looks of the "normal business", the other Valdemarans came to trade with the Hawkbrothers and the Hawkbrothers traded back for the goods they wanted. The Herald sat quietly, yawning every now and then. The gryphon would add in a snide remark when he got a chance. The young man in Hawkbrother clothing handled all the dealings of trade with the Valdemarans, occasionally asking the other elders about necessities. I got bored real quick and started to hum one of my favorite songs by a foreign artist. I tried to remain as quiet as possible with my humming but unfortunately I got noticed quickly. I hadn't realized they were finished and had kept humming, off in my own world. Gackt does that to me.

I immediately stopped, looked around at everyone staring at me, gave a nervous cough and a nervous wave. "Er… Sorry, I didn't mean to disturb your business."

The young Valdemaran or Hawkbrother, whatever he was, burst out in laughter. Now, I have a short temper. It kind of set me off. But, I remained calm on the outside. He was being rude, but I exuded the definition of calm.

"There's no need to apologize. It's understandable to get bored with this stuff. These old feathers beside me obviously get bored, too." He grinned at me, a _real_ grin I could tell, and stood up. "Come, sit next to me and we'll start on why you are here. There're probably a thousand things you want to know."

I pulled myself away from my area of shadow and clumsily made my way over to beside him. Several of the people at the table scooted over to make room and I apologized for making them move over, with thanks for moving. I learned early on in my life that apologies make people happier to do something than without.

The young man held out his right hand. I looked at it, not knowing what he wanted me to do. Was I supposed to shake it? Or was he trying to help me sit down at the bench. He chuckled. "I want to shake your hand." He grabbed my hand and held it firmly. His hands were warm; mine I knew were cold as always. They hadn't done anything for maybe twenty minutes and they get cold when not used much. "My name is Darian, the Younger." He gave a wink at the "Younger" part and I wondered at that. Was he the son of _the_ Darian from the books I had read?

He kept shaking my hand and so I took the chance to look him over. He had golden brown hair, which was riddled with white from using magic, and deep blue eyes that immediately took hold of you and seemed to charm you into his control. I ignored them, knowing many guys from my world that had broken my heart with eyes like those, and continued to study him. He knew hard labor and some sun but didn't seem to mind the lighter things in life. From where he was sitting and how he acted, he was used to power and getting more of what he wanted than I ever would have in my family. He was probably the head of the elders from the looks of it, most likely inherited from his famous father. Darian was overall attractive, but I didn't let that get to me. Guys like him tended to speed right past me and head for the pretty girls, paving me down in their wake.

He let go of my hand and motioned for me to sit to his right. I figured he was being pretty bold by having me to his immediate right, rather than an elder, so I kept my head down as I got myself onto the bench. I don't think I was very ladylike while getting my legs over to under the table, but at that moment, I didn't care. I just wanted to sit down.

Darian sat down immediately after I had and began to talk about what the meeting was really for. Almost at once, I was uncomfortable. His thigh and the man's thigh next to me were both touching mine. I'm very conscious about that kind of thing and it embarrasses me. I don't like touching others much. I was pretty much tensed up for quite a bit of what he was saying.

"Here's pretty much the idea of what's going on. We've all detected a kind of…" Darian looked to his left. "A monster of power? Yeah?" He looked back to the rest of us. "There's this monstrous amount of power heading towards us from the west. We haven't had any word from other clans and that worries us. From the feel of it from this distance, not even our Heartstone could grant us all enough power to stop what's coming this way. All of us elders decided that we needed someone, a savior of sorts, that has a lot more power than anything we've imagined to counteract the power coming. Through our combined resources, we found a spell that could bring to us what we sought through a Gate. We understood the repercussions of it and warned Errold's Grove and those surrounding that a serious storm would head their way. And all of you a couple of days ago saw who came through." He put a hand on my left shoulder. "This lady right here. She came through our Gate and will save us, I'm sure of it."

Throughout his whole description of this all, I'd kind of dozed off. I'm not one for speeches and I get sleepy. But as soon as he said that _I_ was going to save his world, I almost choked.

"_What?!_" I yelled out. Oops, my surprise had let itself out. I tried to stop anything else coming out, but I failed. Miserably.

"I'm supposed to be your _savior_? I don't even come from this world! I come from a world where magic is myth and if you believe in it, you're a crazy. You're world in mine was written about by a woman, a fantastic one by the way, but it was _fiction_ all the same. You think that me, a young girl who has no magical roots, can save you all? You are _seriously_ mistaken. The closest I got to your _magic_ was having a quarter pulled from behind my ear as a joke when I was little. And it wasn't magic, either. You're all _insane!_"

Yeah, I'd failed in stopping myself. I'm ashamed now, but at the time, I was furious. And horrified that they were depending on me for something I could never do.

I opened my mouth to say something else when the Herald interrupted me.

"See? I told you your idea was stupid, Darian. You shouldn't try and live up to your father's greatness. You'll never reach it. Anyway, I'm interested in your world. How do you live without magic?"

I glared at him. Now, my glares are pretty deadly. In the fury that I was in, I could have scorched his face off. Thank goodness he didn't see me; Darian had already retaliated back at the Herald with ill-disguised sarcasm.

"And you could have come up with anything better? How do we know she doesn't have any latent skills that could show up in our world that never would in hers?" I gave him a point for that. Maybe I did. But probably not. I'm lame as things go in the world. "You're always criticizing everything I do. You have no right to think you are superior to me. I am a respected elder and _earned_ my way here. You can ask any of the other elders. And my father has nothing to do with this. So leave him out of your petty anger."

I can safely say that I was annoyed with this squabble. I'm expected to save their world, and all they can do is argue over positions and the past. My temper kept flaring, but knowing how unrelenting I am when I let go of my anger, I kept it in. I didn't want my first impression on them to be "she's a madwoman!" So, to calm myself, I thought calm things, bunnies and rainbows and such, and I could feel something stir in me. I pushed it aside and ignored the feeling. It felt vaguely like hunger and this was no time for food.

"You guys are dumb…" I muttered under my breath. Somehow Darian had heard and turned to me quickly.

"What was that?" he asked, startled.

"I said, 'you guys are dumb.'" I sighed. He needed his hearing checked.

He let out another roaring laugh, one of those laughs that make you jump because it's so loud and sudden. (I did jump, by the way. A couple of inches, maybe.) He wiped at his eyes and said in between laughter and breathing, "You say it strangely, yet it's so true!"

The Herald's mouth was slightly open and he seemed halfway between furious and confused. I wanted to laugh at him, but I think he would have exploded if I did. His ego was probably hurt enough already.

"Dude, you guys are just weird." I shook my head in an exasperated manner. This whole meeting had gone to pieces. By now, my bedroom, a good book, and a soda were looking _pretty_ good. I longed for my world already.

"What's this word 'dude'?" asked the Herald. Whoops, forgot some words don't translate into Valdemaran.

"Never mind. Can we just get on with this meeting? I'm sleepy, and starving, too." That weird feeling was grumbling around in my stomach. How could no one hear it? Maybe being so peeved had gotten me all funny-feeling. I shrugged it off and paid attention to the others.

"Oh, right. I apologize for our rude behavior." The Herald snorted. I wondered what made his Companion let him be so snobbish and annoying. A defective Companion? I didn't think so. "Anyway… there has to be something about you that called you through the Gate. We'll just have to test you for all sorts of magic." He grinned at me.

"And with that, let the meeting be adjourrrrned," growled out the gryphon. "I am famished."

**Author Note: Again, I would really appreciate some R&R's. If you read it, please at least give me a smidgen of a comment. I'm a very vain writer. It boosts my ego to know someone's read it. :** **It's Spring Break right now, so I can hopefully get a lot more written. **

**Thanks to those who commented. I 3 you. **


	3. Chapter 3: That Feeling

**I don't own anything Valdemaran, Mercedes Lackey does. And, erm, all that jazz.**

Chapter 3: That Feeling

"_And with that, let the meeting be adjourrrrned," growled out the gryphon. "I am famished." _

I stood up and stretched my arms above my head, giving a loud yawn. I could feel that strange grumbling feeling rising up again and told it to stuff itself. I was getting food soon.

Everyone was exiting out of the large ekele and all heading to a small clearing with vegetation acting as tables and chairs. Food was laid out all over the tables, immediately making my mouth water. I didn't know what any of it was, but all of it sure looked good. I stopped in front of the largest table that held sandwiches and other finger foods. There were so many to choose from.

"I'd choose the ones in the middle. They are delicious." I turned around to see the Herald pointing to a pile of sandwiches. His Companion wasn't far behind him.

"Mmm, really? I was thinking more this one right here." I turned back and pointed to a pile of greenish sandwiches.

"No, definitely these." He pointed again at the first pile. Picking one up, he asked, "So, what is your world like?"

I eyed him carefully. I wasn't sure if I should tell him. Maybe if I revealed technology to this world some type of collapse would occur and we would all implode. I shuddered at the thought. "It's really different, to say the least." I left it at that.

"No, really. Go on! I'd love to hear more about it." He really didn't get the hint.

"I'd rather not. I'm kind of starving, so if you'd just move to your right, I'll get started on these sandwich things." He didn't budge.

"Just a little bit?" He was really starting to annoy me. Heralds weren't supposed to be like this. They weren't supposed to be prigs. I turned around to look at his Companion.

"Is there something wrong with you? How can you possibly be letting him be this much of a jerk?" I glared at the Companion, who looked completely bewildered. "Yes, I'm talking to you, horsy. Now, answer me; I know you can."

By then, I'd drawn a crowd. I could see out of the corner of my left eye that the Valdemarans were whispering to each other, and some of the Hawkbrothers were taking glances over at me. _:How do you know about me?:_

"That's all I get? I'd like you to answer me, Companion." I was getting pretty impatient, that feeling rising up in my stomach again. I felt like I was about to _eat_ the Companion.

_:Ever since Darian came up with his idea of summoning a savior, my Herald, Joral, has blocked me from him. We had a row and he won't speak to me. I would persuade him, but he's always specialized in shielding. Not even our bond is strong enough against this shield.: _I thought I heard a sigh at the end of the Companion's explanation.

"I see. So you have tried. He's just a stubborn prick." I turned to Joral. "Okay, let's get something straight. You, my dear Herald, are being rude. Just because you had a fight doesn't mean you can just block out your Companion. _And_ sometimes you don't always get your way. Be diplomatic with Darian." I gave him a cold glare. Man, that feeling was just growing and growing.

"What's going on here?" I heard from behind me. I turned my head to see Darian walking up into the clearing.

"Oh, nothing. Just having a nice chat here with my new friend." I smiled at Darian. I immediately grabbed a sandwich. My stomach was about to make me pass out. I stuffed a sandwich into my mouth and chewed on it, turning back to Darian.

"Well, that's great. I hope Joral hasn't been rude to you." Darian seemed genuinely hopeful, for some reason.

"I'll have you know…" I stopped the Herald with a deadly look. He coughed and restarted. "Excuse me." He coughed again. "I was being a perfect gentleman. No need to worry, elder."

I found that the first sandwich hadn't done anything for that funny feeling, so I stuffed another in my mouth. As I chewed, I looked back to Darian. He looked like he wanted to say something.

"Yefsh?" I managed to say through the sandwich.

"I was just wondering, as soon as you're done, would you mind doing some tests for me? I just want to know as soon as possible what your strengths are." I sighed. I grabbed the whole plate of sandwiches.

"We can go now. I'll just bring them with me." I looked around to the rest of the gathering. "That's fine, right?" Everyone nodded. I smiled, trying not to grimace. Those two sandwiches had, if anything, made that feeling worse. Maybe I should go rest instead…

"Um, actually, I'm feeling a bit ill. Maybe I should go lie down…" I put the plate of sandwiches down and put my hands to my stomach. "Ugh…"

"What's the matter?" Darian suddenly sounded like a mother. I mentally snorted.

He put a hand to my forehead. As soon as his hand touched my skin, a sudden blast of…something…came out of me and knocked Darian over. I found that I felt much better.

"Yowch!" he sputtered out. It must have hurt. "What was that?"

I shrugged. He was the magical person; he should know, not me.

Another of the elders walked up slowly to me. "May I?" He held out his hand as if to touch me. I nodded.

"Sure."

He lightly touched me and slightly flinched as he did so. "As I thought." He turned to Darian and held out a hand to him, helping him off his feet. I waited for him to go on, but he didn't.

I cleared my throat and said, "So…what did you think it was?" Everyone was waiting for his answer.

"Did you feel anything when either of us touched you?"

"Only when Darian did. It felt like a sudden blast of something came from me and pushed him back. I didn't feel a thing when you touched me."

He muttered to himself and stared at me in thought. After maybe a minute or so, he looked to Darian for an answer. "What did you feel, Darian?"

"It was as if I was reaching out to the Heartstone for the first time, but in a more physical sense." He grimaced, and as he did, I felt a pang of guilt. I'd never really physically hurt anyone before. And I also understood the rush that the Heartstone had on first-timers. I'd surely read it enough times.

The old Hawkbrother nodded sympathetically. "Do you still feel ill?" His question was directed at me.

I shook my head. "I feel great now. I really started feeling horrible once I ate those sandwiches. Did you guys put anything in them?" I gave him a suspicious look.

"No. But that makes things even clearer." He nodded his head, as if I kept proving his theory right and he loved the secret of it all.

"Would you please just _tell_ me?" I growled at him. Something was wrong with me and the aggravating old man wasn't telling me.

He sighed. "It would seem you create and supply your own energy, as if you were a Heartstone, but at a much faster rate. I'm supposing that when you eat, your body now metabolizes food into nourishment as well as enormous amounts of energy and you become ill when there is too much. When you or someone touches you, all of that energy is released, as we saw with Darian. From now on, don't let it get like that unless necessary." I nodded my head solemnly. "Don't worry, we will be sure to devise a plan to keep you constantly sending off your new extra energy. For now, when you even feel a little sick, just touch Darian but always warn him before hand."

"So, I'm a human Heartstone?" I was a bit…freaked, you might say.

"You could call it that, yes." Great, thanks Mister Elder-man. I mentally rolled my eyes.

"If I touch a tree or something, will I give off energy to that thing?" I was hoping I wasn't like King Midas. I wanted to be able to touch things, you know?

"It will only be minimal energy to living organisms that aren't sentient, I believe. Your food won't just suddenly live again because of you touching it." I heaved a sigh of relief.

The old man then said, "I apologize. I never introduced my self. My name is Winterstorm. It has been a pleasure to meet you. No doubt I will see a lot of you in the future."

"Likewise, I'm sure." Suddenly, the pressure of having to save a world, and knowing you were a freak of sorts came crashing down on me. I needed a pick-me-up nap.

**Author Note: This was my Spring Break, so chapters will be coming slower now. TT And I would really appreciate some reviews, even if they just say... "yay!" or something of that sort. And the next couple chapters will be coming a lot slower. I have to re-read a lot of books to get all of my information right. I don't want any fallacies. **

**I heart everyone who comments. So, big cookies for: oneswordsworn, GinaStar, and ginalee. **


	4. Chapter 4: Teachers, Gifts, and Lessons

**Ch. 4**

**AN: I'm so sorry to all of those that have read this and wanted more! I'd completely forgotten about the story until just** **this week. May came and I got so busy with work, exams, band, and add writer's block, this just didn't get done. To make up for it I have a REALLY long chapter compared to usual. I hope it allows you to forgive my dreadful self for not posting in a couple of months. Heeeere goes.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the world of Valdemar, but I own almost all of the characters. And some of the ideas.**

As I lay there, trying to fall asleep, I contemplated my situation. I wasn't really in a dreadful position. A whole people depended on my new powers just to save them. That thought overcame and shoved away most of the other worrying thoughts I had, even the ones about back home. No one really noticed me in my own world, so I figured they would just think I'd run away. The only person who would care was my mother, but then my father would probably bully those thoughts away from her. He'd always wanted a boy, anyway.

I rolled over onto my side and let out a sigh. The fabric of the bed was soft to the touch and would normally have made me fall right to sleep; but for some reason, I had laid there for more than twenty minutes still wide-awake. I thought back to what that old man, Winterstorm he had said, told me earlier that day. Maybe since I was a "human Heartstone," I had so much energy in me that I wouldn't need to sleep. That gave me a jolt.

I _loved_ to sleep. If I got bored, I slept; if I was depressed, I slept; if I was angry, I slept. And I had just realized the true depth of my fate. My life was never going to be the same.

I was so deep in my own thoughts, I hadn't heard Nitz come into the room. "You shouldn't think so hard. Your brow furrows drastically; it looks really painful. You'll look angry for the rest of your life if you keep doing that." I bolted upright, startled, and stared at her.

"How long have you been there?"

"Long enough to see you never once got droopy eyes. This must be a shock to you." She reached out with a hand, no _claw_, and made a motion to give a comforting grip on my shoulder. I cringed back and stared at her.

"I-…I'm sorry, but I don't think I can stand seeing my new power hurt someone just by touching me. And Winterstorm said only Darian should come in contact."

Nitz then did something very strange. I _think_ she rolled her eyes at me. "Winterstorm is a bag of feces, and always has been. I will touch you if I feel like it. Now come here." I moved back toward her, still warning her of my new powers, and let her touch me. She didn't even flinch.

"See? Not bad! It's just a little tickle, is all. Now, get out of that dress. You're wrinkling it something awful." She had a motherly look on her face that sent out the message of "do-it-now-or-I'll-kill-you" and immediately I rose up and went behind the changing screen, which was a smooth, curved wall of wood decorated with forest scenes and dancers. Laid out for me behind the screen was a pair of pants and a shirt. I stared at the clothing carefully and laughed. Nitz had taken my old clothing and added her own spin onto them. I didn't have jeans anymore because, well, Valdemar just didn't have denim, but the pants looked a lot like my jeans that I'd come in. And the shirt… it was this silky green number almost identical to the one I wore the day of my arrival, too. I looked closely at the stitching on it and noticed something really peculiar. Nitz had stitched little rabbits into it, and they all looked like they were happily playing around on the blouse. I smiled and cheered up a bit. I loved to design my own clothing, and I knew I would enjoy being friends with Nitz.

Carefully putting on my new clothes, I mulled over what I could possibly do now that I had all this extra time when I _used_ to sleep.

I came out from the behind the screen and showed Nitz what the clothes looked like on me. She seemed thoroughly pleased.

"You look wonderful! Now, come here so that I can do your hair again. You seem to let it get in such a disarray, I can't imagine how you could go out in public before you met me." She gave me a reprimanding look. I sighed and walked over to her, allowing myself to be experimented on. Secretly, I enjoyed having someone want to do my hair, which is an impossible beast, by the way. It's thick, stubborn, and flips in every which way.

With Nitz's skills, it took her, what I suppose, around ten minutes to get it brushed smooth, straight, and tolerable. I turned and grinned at her. Already, I was priding myself by having this_ hertasi_ as a friend. In no way did I ever acknowledge her as a servant. She just _really_ wanted to help.

I remained sitting in the chair, slowly sliding down it, pondering what I could do. I could lie in a pool all day, pruning myself. That probably would only make me more miserable and depressed. Really, the most obvious thing kept slipping my mind, so I asked Nitz, "What do you think I should do in my newfound spare time?"

She mulled over the question, then responded, "I think it would be best to find those willing to teach you in your new powers, so then when whatever is coming _comes_, you will be as prepared as possible."

I nodded, and thought over her answer. It made incredible sense, and I became very proud of Nitz, yet again. This would be a long-lasting friendship, that I knew for sure.

"Er… so, who do you suppose should teach me?" She seemed to ignore me, but then I got a response.

"I'm not really sure. Mages tend to be too sensitive and emotional for me. You should ask Darian, considering he is the head elder. Obviously, he'll teach you some things, and so will Winterstorm. I don't think you and Winterstorm will get along well, though. He likes to make himself seem more powerful than he is." I could sense a grudge or something similar being held between the two.

"Is Darian busy right now?" I asked her. She got a faraway look on her face, and then responded to me, "He's talking to some of his friends right now and already plans to see if you're awake so that everyone can meet you. You seem to be popular." There was amusement in her voice.

I sighed. It is and always has been awkward meeting people for the first time, for me anyway. I get _very_ shy and want to curl up into a tiny ball. "Should I just wait, or should I go meet them on their way?"

"You'll probably get lost without a guide, so you should just wait." She remained silent for a moment and then stated bluntly, "You're hair is already bleaching, dearest. I could get some dyes and fix it, but you know, silver flatters you in a way." I took that as a compliment.

"Dying it would be too much of a hassle. I need to focus on saving a people, rather than my hair." We continued to discuss my hair when we both heard a voice from outside. A knock soon came after.

"Hello?" queried a muffled voice from the other side of the door.

"Coming!" I yelled. It must be Darian with his friends.

I reassured myself that I could handle the new people and then opened the door. It seemed like a whole flock of birds was outside. Well, a flock of birds and their humans. Darian was at the head of the flock with a bondbird on his shoulder. It was a small owl that kept swiveling its head to look around at anything that moved.

"Hi! I've come to introduce some of my closest friends to you, people I know you will be getting to know very well in the next weeks. Could we come in?" I nodded my head and ushered them in.

In all, excluding Darian, there were five Hawkbrothers in my _ekele_ inspecting me with curiosity and wonder. I stared back at them, just a wreck of nerves.

"This is Autumnsong," Darian stated. He motioned at a tall woman dressed in mages robe so extravagant and brightly colored, I almost had to look away. Her hair was pure white and eyes a very pale blue, but she looked only a little older than me. "She is a Healing Adept, one of the best. She could even contend with Firesong, but we all know she isn't one to compete." The others gave a chortle and Autumnsong looked like she was blushing.

"That's enough, you." She paused and gave a nasty look to Darian. Then she looked to me. "It's very nice to meet you. I will be teaching you how to channel your energies back into a more positive path, such as Healing others and the land. I hope we will learn much together."

"Me, too. Thanks," was all I managed to reply.

Darian continued on with the next Hawkbrother. "Next we have Silentwind. He's the head scout for k'Valdemar. We are very proud to have such an excellent warrior amongst us. To prepare you in all ways, he will teach you how to defend yourself physically and be just as stealthy as he is, I hope. He can be a hard taskmaster." Darian's last remark held a hint of knowing from experience. I gave an internal sigh at more hard work. I'm very lazy at heart.

"Thank you for the introduction, brother," said Silentwind. "It is a pleasure to finally speak to you face to face. I look forward to teaching you what I know." He definitely seemed to talk less than Darian was prone to. I already liked him. His hair was brown, with a leaf pattern through it. His clothes were simple compared to the others' and seemed almost out of place. His eyes were the same pale blue as everyone else's, but I figured everyone's would be in this place. Mine were born blue-gray, so I wondered how much lighter they would get. I gave a mental shrug.

The next introduction was of a young girl named Sundancer. She somehow managed to smile the _whole_ time she was introduced. And she looked vaguely like her introducer. Her clothing comprised of bright colors, and her pleated skirt seemed to constantly sway about. It seemed like she always was itching to dance about. "This is Sundancer. She is our head MindMage. She'll be teaching you any of the Mind-magics that you have."

"What Darian fails to mention is that I am his older sister. Do I embarrass you, little brother?" She pouted, but turned and gave me a sly wink. She turned back to her brother.

"You don't embarrass me. I just wanted our new friend here to not judge you on your association with me." Sundancer promptly snorted at this statement, but said no more.

"Continuing on, this is Goldfeather, and her twin Goldleaf." He motioned toward two people, a young woman and man, who looked almost exactly alike, except for the obvious gender differences. They were both very tall, towering over everyone else, and wore their hair to the middle of their thighs. I wanted to touch their silvery hair; it was so shiny and long. Combine their golden skin, and I was hooked on their exoticism.

"Oh, it's such a pleasure to meet you! I'm Goldfeather," said the young woman enthusiastically. "I'm an Empath, of sorts. I won't really be teaching you. My brother just dragged me along."

Goldleaf, her twin brother, seemed to roll his eyes at this. "You dragged me, I believe."

"Well, anyway, let's not argue about who dragged who."

Goldleaf cleared his throat and properly introduced himself. "I'm Goldleaf and I'll be teaching you the elements of combative magic. If you have the Mage-Gift, then I'll also teach you beyond the elements."

"Ah…um…thank you all." I took a second to put my thoughts together and properly introduce myself.

"I feel a bit overwhelmed, but relieved to know that there are people here who will help me." I smiled to each one of them.

Darian coughed and interjected before I stumbled over my words any longer. "I think through this whole flurry of your arrival that we have failed to get your name." They all looked at me expectantly.

"Ah, well, it's…ah…" They surely must have thought that I'd forgotten my own name. "My name is Melody St. Claire." My tongue had some difficulty getting around my name in English. It was already used to speaking in the tongues of this world, a really fast adjustment.

Darian tried to repeat it and failed miserably. I decided to help him out. So, I told him my name in the Tayledras language. He muttered an, "Oh…" and the others nodded.

"You can just call me Melody."

"All right, then!" Darian said enthusiastically. "Melody, now that you know everyone, why don't we test you for any Gifts that you have. We'll start with any Healing Gifts you might have latently."

"Okay," I replied. This was the part I had been dreading. What if I didn't have the powers that they wanted from me? I'd only be useful as a never-ending source of power and no talents to use it. My legs were close to dropping off, I was so nervous.

"Oh, where are my manners? Let's all sit down." Hoping they didn't hear the waver in my voice, I motioned for everyone to find a soft spot to sit around my _ekele_. As we did, Autumnsong chose a chair next to mine and adjusted it so she faced me. I made myself comfortable and waited.

"No need to be nervous," said Goldfeather. "It won't hurt a bit and it'll be really simple." I gulped down the knot of nervousness in my throat and nodded.

When I looked back to Autumnsong, her eyes were locked on mine and I couldn't turn away. "Just look into my eyes. I would say open your shields, but you have none. Please keep your eyes held on mine."

Even if she hadn't told me to stare into her pale blue eyes, I would have anyway. They were captivating, like all the other Tayledras. Their exoticism made you want to stare anyway.

As I stared into Autumnsong's eyes, it felt immediately as if someone was sifting around in my head, which is an unsettling feeling, let me tell you. Autumnsong's face scrunched up in effort and continued to search through. After what felt like an hour, excuse me, candlemark, I noticed Autumnsong's presence in my head pulling away and leave. She closed her eyes and shook her head, releasing the hold she had on me.

"I must warn the rest of you. Once you connect to her, it is almost exactly like you are connected to pull energy off the Heartstone, except she has a mind." She sighed then turned her face back to me. "I must say, the Healing Gift that you have is extraordinary, but it must be in order to maintain your body. That amount of energy in a human body is dangerous and would erode at anyone else. The whole time I was searching, I could see parts of you being destroyed and simultaneously Healed." She must have seen my face because she said after that, "Oh, it's nothing to worry about! There's no need to look afraid and worried. This is a good thing!" She chuckled.

"If you say so…" I muttered.

"I do say so." She smiled at me in a motherly manner. "Your Healing Gift has huge potential, though your Gift focuses mainly on speed-healing, something I personally never use because it drains the patient and puts them at risk. With the amount of energy you produce, there seems to be no risk involved since there is never any fatigue or possibility of poisons. You also have a small Empathy Gift, but it would only be useful if you were in contact with that person and they were _really_ emotional. You also have OverSight which will coincide with your MageSight. The first of your lessons will have to include grounding and centering. Your energy is always coming loose and reaching for others. This concept is very important for Healers, but that comes as instinct. For you, it'll need to be taught. Well, I'll contact you later for our first lesson. Now, I must go and check on my latest patient." She turned to the others. "Moondance somehow managed to over exhaust himself and caught a fever. He told me he started feeling tired last week, but kept on border patrolling. Add the hard work he's done for us and the freezing rain as of late, he's pretty sick. But he'll be back in a couple of days."

She stood up, stretched, walked to the door, then turned back to the rest of us and waved. With that, she left to treat her patients.

I turned back to the others and looked expectantly to them. Darian broke the silence. "Well, that's one mystery down. Somehow, Autumnsong always manages to make things a great event. Anyway, while she was testing you for any Healing Gifts, I looked you over for any magic potential. Thankfully, you have the possibility to become an Adept." He turned to Goldleaf.

"It is true. Your potential is almost frightening, but so is the concept of a human Heartstone. You might become a Healer-Adept, but I believe your powers as of now are more combative, which is what we will work on." I nodded to him and turned my attention to the next speaker.

"Goldleaf, Nightsky is calling us. She needs us in Errold's Grove. Someone got caught in the storms and they were just found." Goldfeather grabbed her twin's arm and pulled him out of the chair.

"Sorry, but we must go," said Goldleaf apologetically. "I will see you at a later time, Melody." Then they left.

So, I was left with Darian, Sundancer, and Silentwind. Silentwind chose to speak next.

"I would just to like to ask you a few questions," he said. "I need to gauge your fighting skills."

"Oh, sure. They are very few, though. In my world, there isn't much fighting except for our army. I was simply a student at my school. My athleticism is limited to a small amount of strength in my legs." I suddenly felt disappointed in my physical self. I never exercised; I was a hermit, just living in my house.

"Obviously that will change," Silentwind stated simply. I think I almost heard a little humor behind the statement. "So, you don't know how to use any weapon?" I shook my head. "Do you know how to track?" Again, I shook my head. He sighed.

I really had this urge to make him happy so I mentioned to him, "Well, I've always been good at using shadows and not being noticed. And I have a knack for playing different characters. So, I guess you could say I make a good sneak."

His attitude lifted a _little_ bit. "That ability could always be used to our advantage; at least once we knew the threat."

Darian agreed. "Yes, that's definitely something that_ I_ don't have. And no need to be modest, Silentwind." Darian chuckled. "There's a reason your name is Silentwind."

Silentwind gave a cough and stood up. "I'll try and communicate with the other scouts, see if I can rally any help in your training. See you soon." He turned abruptly towards the door and walked out.

"That went well," said Sundancer. "Finally, it's my turn! We're going to do the same thing that Autumnsong did to find out what Gifts you have. Just look into my eyes."

"Here we go again," I said under my breath.

Almost immediately I felt Sundancer's presence shuffling around in my head, looking for whatever you look for to find a person's Gifts. As she did this, I sat patiently and stared into her pale blue eyes, waiting for the funky feeling to stop. No, really, you don't understand. It's sort of like you're awake while a surgeon pokes at your brain. It is _so_ weird.

This time it took a lot longer for her to figure out what she was looking for. Considering Mind-magic is a vaster field for Gifts than Mage or Healing or even Bardic, which is equally as important as all the others and comes in to play later, it felt like _several_ candlemarks for her to finally break the link and heave a great sigh.

"Autumnsong was right. It was almost like swimming in a very angry body of water. I found some things I hoped to find and other things that were a bit unsettling." She gave a dramatic pause, which annoyed me, and then continued on at Darian's urging.

"You have MindSpeech, which will definitely help us in any fight, because from what I saw it has a very far range. You have some of the other Gifts, such as ForeSight, FarSight, and Fetching, but those are so little that they would only come into use during a crisis. What I did find that you also have is what startles me. I found you have a FireStarting Gift that could rival Lavan Firestorm." So that's why I have such a temper.

"Really?!" exclaimed out Darian. "There hasn't been one of those for over three centuries!" His mouth was gaping open, not an attractive look for him.

"Really and truly, Darian. Having someone with this strong of an offensive Gift must be a sign of our desperate need." It took me a second, but I realized Sundancer looked very tired and sad. Darian laid a comforting hand on her shoulder and turned to face me.

"You seem to be even more than we expected. We're going to have our first lesson right now." Sundancer got up to leave but Darian held her down by the shoulder he gripped. "No, I'm going to teach her to channel some of her energies into people and you will be our experiment."

Sundancer gave what I suppose was a wry smile, but she may have just been too tired to give a full one. "Having the energy I've lost this past week will be a great reward for helping you today Darian."

Darian smiled cheerily. "That's what I was hoping for."

He took the chair that Autumnsong had left and sat in it across from me. "Sundancer, please be ready for the connection. Now, Melody," he said, saying my name very slow in English and badly, I might add. My name was being butchered! Oh, woe is me. "I need you to find your center of calm inside all of your energy. For now, I'll guide you to it so don't be disturbed by me being in your head."

I looked over to him expecting to have to stare into another set of blue eyes, but his were closed and his brow furrowed in concentration. Suddenly, there was a little voice in my head. :_Can you hear me?_: it asked. I almost jumped out of my seat and ran. I didn't expect to go crazy so soon.

"Y-yes…" I replied, a little frightened. The voice chuckled, which was unnerving.

:_This is Darian, so you can calm down. You aren't crazy._: Phew! A chuckle again. _:For now I'm going to guide you to your center where you can control the rest of your energies from. We can't necessarily ground and center because of the nature of your power, as of yet. If you grounded, you'd get more leylines thinking you were a Heartstone, which wouldn't be good. Now, just watch what I do.:_

Suddenly, I was seeing double vision, seeing myself through Darian's eyes and seeing him through my own. It made me nauseous, so I shut my eyes quickly. _:Sorry about that. You can open them now.:_ I did as he said. Now I was only seeing myself through what I figured was his eyes.

As I stared at myself, I noticed my vision change to something completely different. I saw my body in the way Darian must have seen it often. I glowed a warm golden cream color with energy flaring out from my body. I finally understood what Autumnsong had been talking about. The flares were practically flames licking at Darian and Sundancer but reflecting off what I noticed were their shields. _:Good, you _do_ notice them. That's a really good start. The fact that you noticed our shields shows you have keen sight, which will help in your learning. Let's continue. Try and find your center of calm. You'll know exactly what I mean when you do.:_

I closed my eyes and tried to find that place I often found myself at when I listened to music. Several times I almost reached it, but fell short by hearing Sundancer shuffle in her seat. Finally, I remembered the song that had always made me feel calm and warm, so I hummed it softly. Immediately I felt myself in that calm place and knew what Darian had been talking about.

_:Wonderful, you've found it. Now hold yourself in this place and open your eyes.:_ I did as he said. Everything looked more controlled and the flares coming from me were calmer and small. His vision turned to Sundancer, who glowed fainter than Darian. I even noticed a small line coming from me to him of my energy.

_:You see that already? I'm truly grateful to the Goddess for sending you! Yes, that's basically what we want to set up with Sundancer, but only temporarily. I'll guide you.:_ I felt Darian's presence shift farther away and then a new voice entered into my head, though small.

_:Melody?:_ it asked.

I tried "speaking" the same way that Darian had been to the new "voice." _:Sundancer?:_

_:Yes! Already you can Hear me and Speak. That takes away one item to teach you.:_ Though her "voice" sounded weary, I could tell she was genuinely happy about my achievement. It isn't everyday you learn to talk to other voices in your head, rather than them being there to notify you that you're crazy.

Darian's presence shifted back to me, and he spoke up. _:All right, you two. Let's stay on task. Sundancer, please hold out your "hand.":_ I could feel a mental hand proffered to me and took it. _:Now, Melody imagine a calm stream of water flowing through your "hand" into Sundancer's.:_

I pictured a small stream flowing peacefully from my hand over to hers, and almost immediately I could feel a sense of release within myself. Darian's line of sight showed a thick line of energy flowing between me and Sundancer. Abruptly, the flow of energy stopped, and the line disappeared. Sundancer's next words sounded like she was flustered.

_:He said small stream, not raging river!:_

_:Sorry:_ I Said in a small "voice." _:I really did pictured a small stream, calm and everything.:_

_:It's all right. I feel much better, not to mention all this extra energy I have. I guess I'll go and consult with others about your Gifts.:_ Her presence within my mind shifted away and disappeared. Through Darian's eyes, I saw her get up, wave, and then leave out my door.

_:Now you've learned your first lesson from me, inefficient though it was. Once you get the idea of energy flows, I'll teach you a lot more. Hold on one second.:_

My vision went double, making me nauseous again, and then returned back to me seeing Darian through my own eyes. It felt reassuring to be seeing with my own vision again. Soon after that, I didn't even feel Darian in my head any longer.

"I will be seeing you shortly about lessons and showing you the Heartstone. Winterstorm will most likely visit sometime today and speak with you. For now, I'd go exploring, meet new people. The gryphons are really eager to meet you, despite their ferocious looks." He laughed at my face. I still wasn't sure about their intentions. Predator eyes always give me the creeps.

"Okay then, see you soon." We both got up and I walked him to my door. He waved goodbye, and then left. I shut the door behind him and sighed. My first fully day awake in this world and I was already getting _teachers_ and _lessons_. I'd thought I was done with basic schooling. My brain hurt from all the information. I turned around and saw Nitz holding out a tray with a warm drink and some of those sandwiches I liked. After giving away some of that extra energy I'd maintained trying to sleep, I was hungry for real this time.

"Oh, yummy! You _hertasi_ always know what humans need." I gave her a smile and dug in.

"Of course we do. Someone has to take care of you. I don't know how it was done before we were created." Nitz shook her head, cleaned up the room, and then went back for more sandwiches. I'd soon come to fall in love with those sandwiches.

**AN: And that's the chapter! Thanks for reading and please review. If you feel the main character is too super Mary Jane or whatever you call the female character that gets everything, don't worry! Melody has plenty of faults, believe me, and doesn't get everything. Half of these Gifts aren't a blessing at all. Poor thing. I've created a hard life for her. Whoever gives me the best critique and/or comment will get to name a character. : **

**Lots of reviews also motivate me to write faster.**


	5. Chapter 5: A New Skill

**Hello, lovely readers! I have returned! Thanks goes to those who asked me not to quite (aka reminded me that I was writing a story...). I hope to remember to keep doing this story from now on. :D And apologies if the style suddenly seems different. Take into account that it's been almost a year in the making. **

**I own only the made up characters-not the world, or the general grasp of the place. That would be Mercedes Lackey's possessions. Enjoy, please.**

Ch. 5

Earnestly I had hoped that Sundancer would be the first one to set up my lessons. But no, it was the ones I dreaded the most. Silentwind.

Winterstorm had come by as Darian had promised and declared me hopeless, which from his personality I had figured would be his reaction. I figured myself hopeless, too, but I didn't go around telling the whole world that. His visit had left a bad taste in my mouth and little angry.

So, after storming around in my _ekele_ for a while, Nitz finally forced me out so I'd stop making her antsy and go explore like Darian had said. I argued with her but she threatened to not make me new clothes if I didn't. I immediately left, thoroughly reprimanded.

I found the path marked yellow, the only one I knew, and meandered around. It was entirely too quiet for me, so I started to hum one of my favorite jazz pieces, _Piano Black_. I can't sing worth flip and knew every time I missed the key, but I didn't really care. I missed my world's music, and seriously doubted that Valdemar had _jazz_ of all things.

In this oblivious manner, I continued to walk down the path, making an occasional stop to look at the forest around me. I usually hate nature, but this place was _pretty_ cool. Sometimes I could see some birds up in the trees. I didn't know if they were bondbirds or not. Birds are birds to me. Smelly and noisy. No offense to all the bird lovers out there.

As I kept walking, obliviously, I found myself falling face down, my foot having caught itself on a root. Nasty root, it was. It wasn't my fault, of course not. I'm in no way clumsy. Right before smashing my face into the dirt, which I was fully prepared to do, two firm hands held me by my waist and stopped me from seriously hurting myself. After doing a couple of seconds of hang-time, my rescuer hoisted me back up to a vertical position and quickly dropped their hands. I turned to see who had saved me from a bloody nose and dirty face. To my chagrin, it was Silentwind. I had made a fool of myself in front of him. I wanted to crawl into a ball of depression.

"Th-thank y-you," I managed to stammer out. His deep stare was unnerving and I was already so embarrassed.

"It is the least I could do. I had meant to find you, anyway. You are not busy, are you?" I shook my head. I for some reason couldn't speak around him. Maybe I just didn't want to say something really dumb. I have a tendency to do that. I mean _really_ dumb.

"Please follow me, then. I would like to start our first lessons today. Your other instructors are all waiting for you." He shifted his direction to a path I had totally _not_ even noticed and walked away. I assumed I should just follow and did so wordlessly. I just kept on being speechless. Oh, I had plenty to say, as can be easily seen. But, I have a hard time voicing them to others.

I spent our time together walking quietly behind him and looking at my surroundings. Was that a person I just saw in a tree? Every once in a while, I would ask myself that, and then shake my head "no" to my silliness. People don't sit in random trees. That's lunacy. At least, it is to me.

Once I had finished my analysis on my own sanity, I looked ahead of me and almost ran into Silentwind. He had stopped and was watching two young men spar with each other. Oops, a young man and a middle-aged woman who at first sight _looked_ young and manly.

"Carefully watch the woman, Melody. She is about your size, and you will be learning that style of fighting." I nodded my head and obeyed. I wanted to say something witty, but no, my mouth had its dumb filter on. I couldn't be trusted.

At first glance, it seemed like a hand-to-hand sparring, but upon closer inspection I could see the glint of metal on both of them. They had knives hidden all over them. From the looks of it, the young man was winning until the woman decided to bring the knives into the equation. Quickly the table was turned on the man. He could barely dodge the woman's deadly missiles of doom. One blade even caught the side of his face and left a bleeding scratch on his right cheekbone. Finally, the fellow had backed up into a tree, a big mistake on his part. Immediately the woman threw four knives, two pinning him by his sleeves, and two by his pants legs. He hung his head in defeat. The woman grinned and laughed. She turned and saw Silentwind, which prompted her to come over and greet him.

"Silentwind, you're back so soon?" She looked behind him and saw me. "Oh, you already found her. That was quick."

"She was halfway here already, looking at the flowers." He didn't mention me tripping, thank heavens. The conversation shifted to me. "What did you think of the match?"

What did I think of it? It was cool, is what it was. "I was awe-inspired and wish I could come even close to that level of expertise." Silentwind's face looked surprised and the woman laughed. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No, but Silentwind has to pay up. We had a bet going. I bet you'd think this was all very amusing and fun. He bet that'd you be too scared to get out a word. You must have left the first impression of "frail woman" when you two first met." I snorted, not a pretty sound to come from me, but it seemed appropriate. I was frail? Bah, Silentwind got his impressions wrong, it seemed. And finding a fault in Silentwind unleashed my tongue. I wasn't so frightened of saying something stupid anymore and my mouth approved.

"Is he often wrong about people?" I asked. The woman laughed even more.

"I like you," she said. "It's not very often we get someone foreign _and_ with some of their wits about them. I've decided I'll teach you knife work and hand-to-hand myself. Let us leave Silentwind to go get what he promised me and contemplate his mistake about you." We grinned to each other.

"I suppose I am outnumbered. Women…" He shook his head in defeat and walked back the way we came.

"Come on, let's go see what you can do. Oh, by the way, my name is Amberstream. Ah, and there's Judro. Lemme go get him." I watched her walk away and really looked at her. She was pretty in a lean sort of way. You could tell underneath her clothes she had to be very toned to move the way she did. Her hair was a simple brown, dyed, and pulled back tight. Even from far away, her eyes gleamed mischievously as she talked to the man named Judro. He seemed slightly disgruntled.

After a short heated argument that I failed to hear, the pair walked to me, Judro in front with Amberstream behind him. She seemed put out. Judro greeted me with a curt bow from the waist that looked Asian-esque. I bowed even lower to him in reply, hoping it was right, and the approving look in his eyes when I straightened my back hinted that I had done well by him.

"My name is Judro. Today, I will be testing you on what weapons you will be using. Though I know Amberstream has decided to teach you knife work, you may not always have those handy. You need to learn as many as you can for any situation. From experience, knowing the proper techniques for several weapons has saved my life. Of course, they need to be suited to you and your way. Let's begin."

I just nodded and nervously followed him. His brusque manner unnerved me, which is probably what he wanted. Many of his manly man type like to intimidate others with their attitude.

Amberstream walked beside me and gave me a reassuring nod. I smiled back at her and then let my head hang down as I followed Judro.

We stopped in front of a very large building that I hadn't noticed before. That can be explained by the fact that part of the building was the actual forest surrounding me. I think my jaw dropped a bit because Amberstream was stifling laughter.

"This is the weapon storehouse. Please go inside and choose the weapon that you think suits you best. This is your first test." He unlocked the huge doors and opened them, motioning me to go inside.

I gulped and walked in. There were weapons _everywhere_. I don't think there was a bare spot on the walls and shelves in the whole storehouse. I must have stood there for some time just staring around because I heard Judro cough behind me. I jumped and started looking around for the most suitable weapon.

Now, I'm not the most elegant person; I'll gladly admit that. So, I took it in to account. My choices narrowed down considerable- no small weapons that required agility and grace. Also, my upper body is stronger than most females. I'd be able to control the heavier, larger weapons. As soon as I thought this, my eyes almost immediately found the perfect weapon: a claymore. They were thick, well-balanced, and plain; I figured that fit me pretty well.

I picked one off the rack and tested its weight and balance. It didn't feel right. I tried again and again until I found the perfect ratio at about the sixth claymore. I felt as if it was made for my hands. I noticed that the only thing around them were large leather straps with a metal buckle and a rectangular metal bar that looked big enough to slide the claymore through. I grabbed one and tried it on. And this time, the first one fit snugly. I reached behind me and felt for that piece of metal. As soon as I found it, I reached behind again with the claymore and slid it through the makeshift scabbard until the hilt hit the metal piece.

I sighed and walked back outside to reveal my choice to Judro and see if I passed his test. I blinked a few times to adjust to the brighter light outside and stopped in front of Judro and waited for his word.

He put a hand to his chin and inspected me with a critical eye. It almost felt like he was rummaging through my soul to find answers. After several moments, he finally nodded and clapped his hands together. "You have chosen well. Now we must test this new weapon. Come and follow."

Judro led me once again to the clearing and held out a broadsword that I hadn't even seen him pick up. That didn't bode well. He gave it a few swings and then held it out straight to me. "Now we will spar."

I stood there and gaped at him. "Y-you mean… with live weaponry?"

"Yes, live is the only way to truly understand the necessity to avoid a hit. Do not worry. I will not hurt you much." I gulped at the last statement.

I looked around and noticed a crowd around me. A wonderful bunch of people to make a fool of myself in front of. I was regretting ever leaving the _ekele_.

Shakily, I held up my sword. Not because it was heavy, but because I was so nervous even holding up a pencil would have been hard. I looked him in the eyes and gulped again. He had a fierce look with the intent of killing. I knew he wouldn't, but the fact that he could was frightening.

From behind, I heard Amberstream encourage me on. Her voice somehow made me loosen up and I stood ready for Judro's first attack. It came quickly and nearly knocked the claymore from my hand. I blocked his sword, sparks flying, and could barely hold him back. The adrenaline started to pump and my stomach started hurting again. Suddenly, I was pushing him and then I knocked him back. I could feel my energy being siphoned off, but it wasn't nearly fast enough. I felt like I would puke if I didn't do something with it. So, I charged at him, claymore crossed in front over my body. I blocked his attack and the parried with my own. Each hit I gave to his sword felt like a huge relief to my stomach. I had no idea what I was doing to him, but he was sweating heavily. In an instant, my sword was flying from my hand and landed in the dirt close to the crowd. I hadn't seen what had happened, but the sword pointing at my throat sent my body on full alert. It immediately moved on its own accord. I ducked down underneath the sword and rolled away. My stomach felt like it was going to burst soon. I ran for my sword and held it once again, pointing it at Judro. Without knowing it, a sudden blast of pressure went through the air and knocked Judro down. He rose, and my body charged him again. This time each blow aimed at him came with a strong pressure and I could see his weapon start to crack more and more with each hit. Again, he performed a maneuver I couldn't see and my sword flew. But instead of aiming his sword at my throat, he jumped back and yelled for someone to hold me. It happened to be Darian and the feeling in my stomach went away.

"Calm down, Melody. He's not trying to kill you." Darian held me tight, considering my body was still in fight or flight mode. The energy I had pent up was slowly melting away and I began to feel calmer.

"Sorry, my body moved on its own. I didn't know what I was doing."

"Shh, it's fine. Just stay still and calm down."

I obeyed and finally he managed to get all the energy from me. I felt a relief come over me and I dropped to the ground, my body exhausted now that there was no energy coursing through my veins.

"You, girl, are a natural berserker, and that is dangerous in your situation. Your body will never tell you when it is at its limits, like it is now. The skills must be taught to you soon. I will teach them to you." He sheathed his sword in a scabbard at his belt that I hadn't noticed and kneeled in front of me. "But I know with hard work, you can become a skilled swordswoman. Do not let this defeat discourage you."

I wasn't in the least discouraged. A master had clearly beaten me, even with my overwhelming energy. I was amazed by Judro's knowledge and skill. These lessons may be something I could look forward to. Now if only I could have such skill in walking on my own two feet.

**AN: Again, I appreciate everyone who has waited patiently for this chapter. I really need to work hard on producing more chapters. And if there are any typos, I'd be glad to know of them. I am my own beta as of now and I can only do so much! Thank you all. Please again be patient enough for the next chapter!**


	6. Chapter 6: Two New Friends

**Finally! This chapter, though quicker than the others, actually made me work harder. It was longer, but I took out a whole scene that I just _couldn't_ write. And I really tried, too. So, it's shorter than I wanted, but hopefully those who read this like it! And please excuse any errors. If there are, just tell me so I can fix 'em.  
**

**Special thanks to Lilly Romanov for the comment! You were my drive to get this out soon. :D Huzzah for you! XD**

**I don't own the world of Velgarth, but most of the characters I do. And other legal things. Thanks and enjoy!**

The thing about having an abundance of magical energy flow through your body is that, though you feel fine, your body won't be able to tell you that it's actually exhausted. In such occasions, the body may refuse to coordinate with the mind simply because it can't. That's exactly how mine was after my spar with Judro.

He was completely right, of course. I didn't know how out of shape and tired I really was. I tried standing only to immediately fall back down again. As Darian kept siphoning off energy that had started to pump again, I slowly felt the pain in my body come to realization. I was sore and exhausted, muscles refusing to move until they rested. I hadn't understood until then how much of your body is required to do sword work.

I pushed out of Darian's grip and stood up, my legs protesting and shaking all the while. "I think I'll go back to my _ekele_ and rest my body for a while. Man, I'm exhausted!"

"Just please don't sleep. It's hard keeping a constant line with you without being overwhelmed," chuckled Darian. I mentally rolled my eyes. He thought he had it tough.

I bent over and grabbed my claymore and sheathed it. The metallic "clink" ensured that the sword was locked in place. I smiled wearily to the audience that had gathered and turned to the yellow path, slowly making my way down it. My body screamed at me with each step, but I ignored it. If only I could make it down the path, I could get some rest, I told it. Yes, some rest and some food. Nitz would hopefully have some ready.

Each step felt like years were taking place while I walked. Many times I almost decided to fall on the path and take a nap where I lay, but I thought about Winterstorm's voice yelling at me for being "hopeless" again, and decided against it. I wanted to prove to everyone that I could help them save their land, even if I myself didn't really believe. Slowly, I kept trudging along, and, slowly, my body began to feel better. I guessed that was the magic that Autumnsong had mentioned. Was it speed-healing? I'd have to find some books to understand what I was doing. It sounded dangerous. Well, every thing sounded dangerous that I was embarking upon.

Again, clumsy that I will always be, I didn't see the little bunny with horns cross my path. Wait, a _jackalope_ exists in this world? I didn't remember that part. For some reason, said jackalope stopped in my way and decided to trip me.

I fell most ungraciously and made a great thudding noise with my face.

"Owww…" I mumbled. I felt a lump hop onto my back and I groaned. The jackalope was rejoicing over its victory. "Cruel rabbit…"

I tried swatting the jackalope off, but each time it jumped away to another sore spot. I decided to roll over and catch it off guard. Of course, it somehow knew and jumped up and I rolled and then landed on my stomach. It blinked its beady eyes at me and wriggled it horns. Could horns wriggle?

_:Mine can, thank you very much.:_ Did the jackalope just… talk?

_:Yes, as a matter of fact, I did. Now stop being stupid and listen to me. I choose you to be my new Master. I don't know why, but you seem to think this appearance is the funniest.:_

True, I'd always thought jackalopes were the most absurd creatures ever thought up my humans. A rabbit with deer horns? Crazy! And, did this thing just choose me? Like I'm its Pikachu to call at any time? I groaned again, but louder.

_:Stop that, silly human. I'll change my appearance if you'd like. What do you want me to look like?:_

"Something light, but useful," I grumbled. Immediately, the little creature on my stomach started to morph into something metallic. I recognized it as a throwing knife once it had finished.

"My God!" I yelled out. It could change shape at will.

_:Yes, I'm so great. Now for the introductions. I am a Shifter. Few of us exist anymore since we can only be created my magic. Poor Urtho forgot to pass down our spell to others. Maybe someone here can figure it out. Anyway, I can change my shape to the will of my Master, that's you, to be of use to them. Of course, I can do it on my own, too, but now that I've found you, I'll try not to do that too much.:_

I stared blankly at the knife on my stomach. Could it be human, too? _:Of course, but I prefer not to. Humans die so easily. I want to live a longer life than you.:_ It chuckled at its own joke. I rolled my eyes. _:Since you are my new Master, you get to name me. And please… nothing stupid.:_

"Ah, wit. I hope you won't use that on me too much. How about I call you… Jack. Yes, Jack is just perfect in many ways." I grinned at the knife.

_:So you do have a wicked side to you. I like it. Jack it is. My last Master called me Hubertalianpumperknickle. He was Rethwellan.:_

I laughed, but then stopped because laughing hurt my sore spots. "Is there anything you could be that can carry me to my _ekele_?"

_:Yes, but I won't. I have a strict rule against abusing my powers for dumb reasons. Walking will do you good.:_

"Evil rabbit…" I muttered. "Then just change into some little creature and sit on my shoulder while I take a year to get back." Jack morphed into a small crow and hopped off my stomach. I slowly sat up and stood. He, that's what I decided Jack's gender was, flapped up to my shoulder and sat there while I slowly made my way to the _ekele_. Maybe I would have a friend in this world after all. My outlook on things was perking up.

Though it was really fifteen minutes, the walk seemed to take a day. Even if each step felt better, my body still couldn't catch up with my new powers. But, at last, I could see a light at the end of the path and I heaved a great sigh.

_:It's not that bad, you know.:_ I shakily waved an arm to swat Jack.

"You shut up. No one asked you." And no one had.

"What did no one ask me?" Oh, no. I knew that voice…somewhere? Low, soft, and smooth. Like he wanted something from you. Ah, that whicker wasn't his. That would be his Companion. Not _now!_

"You sure are slow. I've been waiting nigh on a candlemark for you to come back." He gave me a rather large grin.

I rolled my eyes. "Are you two speaking yet?"

"Ah, yes. We have made amends."

_:As best as we can for now. He'll cool down once we get back to Haven and he can think.:_

Again, I rolled my eyes, and waited for him to tell me what was so important that he'd wait for me.

"Ah, um… Well, you see, I just want to make sure that you can do what Darian hopes you can. I've known him since we were both very small, and I don't want him to get hurt by anyone but me." There was that arrogance again. Seriously, how did he get Chosen?

"Is that all?" I raised an eyebrow at him. He may be several years my senior, but I never tolerate his type, no matter the age. "I can't guarantee myself that I can save you all. I mean, I just got here! But I will try with all my might to help. And the Gate chose to bring me here. That serious of magic probably knows what it's doing. Why don't you report back to Haven and then take some rest. Fix your problems with your Companion because I know that's not healthy for you two. Especially for the horsy."

I was surprised by myself. I didn't know I could sound so…motherly.

He sighed. "You sound so much like the women in my family. And they always end up winning." He shrugged his shoulders and got that far-off look that I already noticed people got when MindSpeaking. "Amalu says that you are wise beyond your years and is grateful for you reprimanding me. We will patch things up while we're away."

"Good, fine, whatever. And horsy, I know you can Speak to anyone you wish. It's not hard for you, and we already know I can hear you. Your voice is nicer than his, anyway."

_:As long as you quit calling me "horsy.":_ I sensed an indignant tone.

I chuckled. "Agreed."

"Well, we'll be seeing you. Hopefully by then you can show some of the best how you've progressed. I'm supposed to be back with an entourage of Haven's brightest. _That_ will be exciting, I can tell…"

I shrugged. "Have fun. As for me, I'm going to rest. Judro is one hard taskmaster…"

Joral and Amalu slowly made their way down another path I hadn't noticed and left me. It was a relief to finally be left alone. Well…almost alone. I still had Jack on my shoulder.

_:You make it sound like it's a bad thing to have me.:_

"Must you _always_ listen to my thoughts? It's hard enough to think on my own, but with your snide remarks…" I groaned.

_:You'll eventually get used to me. Everyone does.:_ He seemed to be laughing at me with his wit. I didn't really appreciate it, but this time he didn't retort.

I went into my _ekele, _unhooked the belt for the claymore, and hung it on a peg near the door. I quickly flopped onto a pile of pillows so after. Jack flew off to a perch before I had landed, saving himself from being squashed crow. So much had happened in one day. I went to a meeting, got told what Gifts I had, and then got owned in swordsmanship. I just hoped the next day wouldn't get harder. I was used to sitting in a classroom all day, going home to doing nothing, _maybe_ working, and sleeping. Rinse and repeat basically. But, this…this was _hard_; I wasn't sure how I would hold up to this much everyday. And on top of that, if I slept, I'd practically become a bomb whenever someone touched me, making him or her fly off somewhere. I practically had eight more hours to my day, twelve on weekends. I sighed heavily and pouted to myself.

Now that I was lying down, my body was getting stiff. I knew that if I didn't stretch out my muscles and give myself a cool-down, I would be worse off tomorrow. I slowly stood up and stretched out my legs and arms, then back and torso.

As I did these little stretches, Nitz appeared at the doorway, a plate of sandwiches at hand. I immediately jumped on them and ate them all.

"I'm glad you're here, Nitz. I'd be a wreck!" I truly would.

"Quite true. I have your things ready for a nice bath in a spring. Don't worry!" She must have looked at my face. "It's a private one." Phew! I have low self-esteem about my body, much less while stark naked.

"Take the blue path, the one to the right from the door, and you'll find it soon enough. It'll be the fifth on the right. If you get lost, I'm sure your new friend will help."

I gave her a puzzled look. Who?

_:Me. I've been around you for sometime. Most of it you were unconscious.:_

"I knew he was here. So he finally showed himself to you? Good. He's been wavering for some time. And yes, I know what you are. We are Urtho's creatures, too."

_:Right you are, good lady. I'll guide this young one, though I can't guarantee _where_.:_

"Just like you tricksters. I'm almost sorry to see that he's chosen you, Melody. These little creatures are known for their tricks. Though they are loyal to their Masters, often they keep them on their toes so you don't rely on them. Good, but not efficient…"

_:Eh, you can't get everything in life, you know.:_ I groaned. It seemed like I would be doing that a lot around him.

"I just wanna get clean." Nitz rushed over with a large sheet of paper.

"Leave this with the _hertasi _at the pool. They'll get everything for you."

"Thanks." I gave her a little squeeze around the shoulders and then left. Shortly following, my left shoulder got heavier and I smelled bird next to me.

I headed down the blue path and started counting the springs that I passed on the left. There was one…two…three… and soon I stopped paying attention. Crap, I must have passed six already.

_:Do not worry, oh short of attention. The next one is the right one.:_ Though I knew I shouldn't trust him, according to Nitz, I foolishly believed him anyway. I made the turn at the next spring and took a look around. No one was there, not a soul. Maybe this was the right one after all.

I laid the list down on a mossy rock, assuming a _hertasi_ would pick it up, and then undressed myself. I carefully folded my clothes and piled them onto the rock also. Gingerly, I lowered myself into the hot spring, wincing as my muscles mumbled at me for making them work again. As soon as I made it in, I started to relax and almost drift to sleep. The water had a lovely fragrance-flower of some sort- and felt like a stress-reliever.

"Not coming in, Jack?" I teased.

_:No, thank you. I'm fine on this branch just watching you. I can see better here.:_ For some reason, he sounded very amused.

"Suit yourself." I stretched my arms out of the water and yawned.

Closing my eyes, I began to think. Yes, that is a dangerous thing for me to do, but I did it anyway. I wondered first what I was going to face. I had read plenty of bad things that came from this world. Was I going to face Mornelithe Falconsbane in his new form? Or maybe some new Storm? I didn't remember seeing anything on the map past the Tayledras. It was a really unsettling thing not knowing what exactly I was facing, but somehow I could feel something in the back of my mind warning me about it. And, too, I had to wonder what I could do. I didn't know how much time I had or if I could do it in time. Honestly, I felt useless at the moment. I wanted at least something to come easy for me. Darian and Sundancer had thought that the Speaking came easy to me, but it was _hard_. I had to concentrate too much than was probably necessary in order to talk to them. And then I couldn't control exactly how much energy I sent over a connection. I really had thought a stream. But what I felt and what Sundancer received was more like… Niagara Falls.

I continued on this depressing vein until I heard a splash on the other side of the pool, which wasn't huge to begin with.

"Mind if I join you?" I didn't recognize the voice, but I knew it was male and my adrenaline starting pumping. Why wasn't I alone?!

"Ah, um…sure?" I sounded like a fool and mentally kicked myself.

"Great! Oh, I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Moondance. I'm one of the scouts that might be teaching you."

I kept looking down and sunk further into the water to cover myself up. "Oh…aren't you the one that overworked himself and got a fever? I thought Autumnsong said you wouldn't be back for a couple days."

He chuckled, a laugh full of merriment, and said, "Ah, well, I snuck out. The springs wouldn't be the same without me. This is the one where all the scouts come to. It's like our meeting place. I'm surprised you're here. Did Silentwind invite you?"

Oh…no. He came here, too? My mind spiraled further into depression. "No, he didn't… He doesn't seem like the type to invite anyone to any spring."

Moondance laughed again. "That's true. You sure are sharp; I like that. And it's all right. It'll be the perfect chance for everyone to meet you and we'll decide who'll teach you. Maybe if you come next time, you'll see them all?"

"I guess." I gave a nervous laugh. Fat chance of me coming. I would only come if forced. Naked party? _No thanks_.

"Oh, have you heard the latest news? My good friend Nightfire came in from his shift today with a message from the k'Saurai Vale. This is both a relief and a worry. Maybe it'll affect your training, hmm?"

"Um, where is that?"

"It's the furthest Vale northwest. Only one Vale is further west and that's k'Chona. I do hope they're okay, but I just want to know what we're facing."

"Me, too. It'd be easier to be prepared when what is coming is _tangible_. I hate not knowing if I'm going to be of any help."

"I think you'll do just fine, whatever may come our way. With the backing of the Goddess's people, Valdemar, Rethwellan, Hardorn, and Karse, I wouldn't see why there would be a great defeat." He grinned at me reassuringly.

I could only hope to believe he was right.

"Seems I'm just about the right amount of wrinkly. I hope to see you tomorrow at the council meeting."

"Yeah, same here." I avoided watching him as he got out and left. I knew it would take some time for me to get used to the whole…naked thing.

I didn't feel the least bit overheated or wrinkly, so I decided to stay. If I got out, the whole Vale'd probably, with my luck, see me; and I'd be naked. I couldn't bear the thought of more embarrassment.

Taking in the surroundings, I decided this place was pretty cool. A waterfall was what kept the water coming in and mage lights hung overhead. There were chairs made from the plants and already I saw clothes, a towel, and sandwiches. Ah, those sandwiches.

After a little longer in the spring, I got out and quickly dried off. I threw my clothes on as fast as I could, hoping to avoid meeting anyone knew. I'd had enough visitations for the day. I just wanted some alone time with my sandwiches and me.

I sat in one of the chairs and nibbled at one, watching the birds overhead get ready for their own beds; I felt a pang of envy. What would happen if I went to sleep? That is, if I could. The sandwiches quickly disappeared as I racked my brain to guess at the consequences.

I did make up my mind about one thing. I wanted to see the Heartstone. "Jack, can you take me to it?"

_:To what?:_

"I know you were listening. Take me to it."

_:Fine. Follow me.:_

He flew down from his perch and morphed into what looked like a large wolf. Maybe _this_ was what a _kyree_ looked like?

He took me down several winding paths, completely losing me, and took it at a quick pace. I had a hard time keeping up with his lupine speed. Sad, really.

He stopped suddenly and Said, _:We're here. Just don't do anything too stupid.:_

"Where'd you get that mean attitude?"

_:Many years of living. Now go and see you're friend.:_

Cautiously, I entered the clearing. I recognized this as where I had first come to. The Heartstone was just as welcoming as when I had seen it on my first day. It pulsed and glowed brightly as if to say hello. As I walked closer, it got brighter until finally I could get close enough to touch it. I was afraid to, really. Many different scenarios of doom ran through my head, but I pushed them away. The giant pillar of crystal seemed so friendly that I couldn't resist. Gingerly, I laid my right palm onto its surface. Immediately, even without using any sort of magical Sight, I could see energy flowing between the Heartstone and me, and I felt a rush go through my whole body. The flow of elation coming from the Heartstone overpowered all of my senses and almost took me over until it realized what it was doing. It thought I was a fellow Heartstone. I thought I could hear murmurs coming from it, but I couldn't make anything out, so I continued just to talk to it in emotions. Showing it all my confused emotions and letting it dissolve them into much happier ones soothed me. The Heartstone understood me and wanted to help- that much I could understand. I didn't want to leave it because neither of us liked being lonely. I pulled my hand away and sat down, letting my back rest against the stone. Surprisingly, the stone wasn't uncomfortable at all and I quickly got sleepy. Staying in constant contact with the Heartstone ensured I wouldn't get too much power because I could feel energy seeping from me into it, but not so much as to swallow me up. Within seconds, my tired body and even more exhausted mind dozed off. I found a way to sleep…

**AN: Please comment, my beloved readers! They make me write faster. Just look at what Lilly's did! It didn't take me half a year to write another chapter. XD So, to support the attention-starved writer, please comment me, and something good may come your way. :3**


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